This disclosure relates to improved deicer compositions. More particularly, the disclosure relates to pre-wetted deicer compositions with reduced leaching properties.
Pre-wetted deicers are commonly used in winter road maintenance. Pre-wetted deicers can be applied to roads and other surfaces during winter months in areas where snow and/or ice tend to form on those surfaces after precipitation. Pre-wetted deicers typically consist of a solid deicer blended with a liquid deicer. The liquid deicer is sometimes sprayed onto the salt at the moment it is applied onto the road, but this requires special equipment. Thus, it is often desirable to pre-blend the liquid with the solid deicer so that the pre-wetted blend can be applied using the same, standard equipment and trucks used to apply dry salt to roads.
One of the challenges in producing pre-wetted deicers is leaching during storage. Leaching occurs when liquid migrates within, or flows out of, a mass of pre-wetted deicer. Environmental exposure can sometimes introduce additional moisture to pre-wetted deicers, pushing the deicers past their saturation point and resulting in leaching. Leaching is a nuisance that often requires site clean-ups. Leaching also produces inconsistent and non-uniform deicers, making them less effective, and has potential environmental impacts. There is thus a need to decrease leaching from pre-wetted deicers.